A cacio e pepe is so simple, the whole recipe is 3 ingredients! Only pecorino romano, black pepper and pasta, this recipe is the traditional one you'll find in any Roman restaurant.
CourseMain Course
CuisineItalian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 people
Calories 960 kcal
Author Pina Bresciani
Ingredients
- ½tablespoonwhole black peppercorns
- 2 ½cups (100g)pecorino romanofinely grated
- 250gspaghetti
- salt for the pasta water
Instructions
In a pot, bring water to boil. Make sure the water doesn't fill the pot - it should be shallow (ie. a lot less than the normal amount of water you would use to boil pasta). Lightly salt the water when it comes to a boil.
In the mean time, finely grate the pecorino.
With a mortar and pestle, grind up the peppercorns to a fine consistency. Set 1.5 teaspoon of the pepper aside- this is the pepper you will be using.
Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook it for half of the amount of time indicated on the box. It will finish cooking in the pan.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a stainless steel pan over medium heat. Add the 1.5 teaspoon of pepper and toast it, maximum one minute. You should smell the aroma of black pepper, but don't burn it.
Once the pepper is toasted add a ladle of pasta water to the pan.
Boil the pasta for half the amount of time that the package indicates (eg. if it says, 10 minutes on the package, boil it for 5 minutes). Add the pasta to the pan (it will finish cooking in the pan - this process is called "risottare"
Over medium heat, let the pasta finish cooking in the pan. Move it around with tongs, and by shaking the pan when it is cooking. Add pasta water as needed. The point is to get the starch to release into the pan. You want there to be a little bit of starchy liquid left in the pan. This is what helps form the cream.
While the pasta is cooking in the pan, add a small amount of pasta water to the grated pecorino. With a fork, mix the pasta water in until the mixture forms a paste. Set it aside.
When the pasta is al dente, remove the pasta from the heat. Wait 30 seconds, and add the pecorino mixture to the pan, and stir quickly with tongs. A beautiful creamy consistency should form between the pecorino and the starchy liquid in the pan.
Plate, and spoon the creamy sauce on top. Add more fresh pepper if desired. Enjoy your cacio e pepe!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Ensure to finely grate the pecorino. This will help help ensure that when the paste is formed, clumps will not form. I used a microplane to grate the pecorino.
- It is better to weigh the pecorino romano out instead of using cups measurements. The way the cheese is grated will affect the cup measurements, and too much cheese may end up being used. If you have a kitchen scale, weigh the pecorino out and this will give you a better measurement/result.
- The water in the pot where the pasta boils must be very shallow (ie. a lot less than normal). This helps to make the pasta water extra starchy, which is very important in an authentic cacio e pepe
- Since there are so few ingredients in this dish, using fresh peppercorns and grinding them up is important. You will get the best flavor this way.
- Usually, pasta water should be salted heavily. For this recipe, I salt the pasta water lightly, because the pecorino is already very salty.
- Cook the pasta in boiling water for about half the amount the amount of time that the package calls for. The pasta will finish cooking in the pan, so if it boils too much, it will cook too quickly in the pan and not release enough starch.
- When pasta is cooking in the pan, ensure to move it around constantly. This will help it release its starch.
- Cook the pasta in the pan until al dente.
- When pecorino paste is added to the pasta, mix it in quickly.
- Pasta to use: spaghetti is traditional, but you can also use bucatini, or if you prefer short pasta, rigatoni, mezze maniche, or casarecce or penne work too. Also be sure to use a bronze-die extruded pasta, as this is a high quality pasta and will release more starch.
Nutrition Facts
Authentic Cacio e Pepe Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 960Calories from Fat 324
% Daily Value*
Fat 36g55%
Saturated Fat 22g138%
Cholesterol 130mg43%
Sodium 1509mg66%
Potassium 453mg13%
Carbohydrates 101g34%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 57g114%
Vitamin A 546IU11%
Calcium 1378mg138%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
